CHAPTER 2



Introduction:
Campbell and Fiske argue, “triangulation is a powerful way of demonstrating concurrent validity, particularly in qualitative research” (1959, cited in Cohen et al, 2000: p112).  It is for this reason that the analysis presented in this dissertation utilizes interviews, a land use survey and evidence from historical literature (Cohen et al, 2000; Bell, 1987) to discuss the geographical reasons for change in Cheboygan, from its settlement in the mid-18th Century to the present day.  The overall aim of the research is to present a descriptive case study that observes, causes and effects “in real contexts, recognising that context is a powerful determinant of both causes and effects” (Cohen et al, 2000: p181).  Paradis’ (2000) work on Galena, Illinois in which land use surveys and historical documents were used to chart Downtown redevelopment also provided a useful model.

Land Use Survey:
Land use surveys are a snapshot of residential, business and other properties in a defined locality at a particular time.  The aim of such a survey is to “obtain information which can be analysed and patterns extracted and comparisons made” (Bell, 1987: p8).  The purpose of this survey was to establish that Cheboygan had changed over time by providing a present day point of comparison.  The results of the survey were later compared with the data obtained from the interviews and review of historical literature.

The land use survey was undertaken in July and August 2001.  Bell (1987) suggests, “care has to be taken to ensure that the sample… is truly representative” (1987: p8).  Consequently, a pilot survey from the out of town shopping precinct on South Main Street, along North Main Street (M-27) to Mackinaw Avenue (US-23) (See Figure 11) was undertaken in July 2001.  The pilot survey, consisting of general observations made into a Dictaphone, was used to establish the City’s key features, the final survey location and the best recording method (Cohen et al, 2000).


[Figure 11: Cartoon Map Showing Initial Survey Area.  Not to Scale.  Reproduced with permission of Neal Levin, 2001]


The final survey was completed in two stages during August 2001 and concentrated on North Main Street between Nelson Street and Mackinaw Avenue (See Figure 12).  North Main Street represents Cheboygan’s ‘Downtown’ or Central Business District (Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce, 2001; Pacione, 2001) and is the oldest part of the City (Historical Society of Cheboygan, 1996).  Nelson Street represents the approximate border between North and South Main Street, whilst Mackinaw Avenue marks an end to the ‘Downtown’ shops, restaurants and services.  This particular part of Cheboygan is also well documented by local historians (Olson, n.d.; Olson & Turner, 1989; Historical Society of Cheboygan, 1996) and consequently provides for a good comparison.  It is for these reasons that the final survey area was considerably smaller than that of the pilot (Bell, ibid).


[Figure 12:  Area covered by Cheboygan Land Use Survey.  Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce, 2001: p10-11]


The pilot survey also helped to reduce the number of data sets collected from ‘Land Use’ (i.e. residential, office, shop), ‘Number of Storeys’ and ‘Age of Building’ to just ‘Land Use’ and ‘Number of Storeys’.  The age of the buildings along North Main Street was hard to establish through observation, particularly as the area had a Victorian theme.  

For the data that was collected, a code was devised.  Based on the pilot study, land use was divided into 11 categories:

(A)
 Residential
(B)
 Shops
(C)
 Restaurants, Cafes & Bars
(D)
 Offices
(E)
 Community Buildings
(F)
 Tourism
(G)
 Industry
(H)
 Recreation
(X)
 Vacant Lot
(PL)
 Parking Lot
(PK)
 Park

Further divisions were then used to identify particular types of property or business within each category.  In the final survey, buildings were given a code to represent both the number of storeys and the land use for each of those storeys (See Figure 13).  A full key showing categories and sub-divisions is included in Chapter 4.

ii
 B
 1
2 Storeys
 Shops (both storeys)
 Department Store

ii
 iB, iiD
 i4, ii8
2 Storeys
 Ground Floor: Shops, 1st Floor: Offices
 Ground Floor: Clothes, 1st Floor: Lawyer


[Figure 13:  Code used for Land Use Survey.  Source: Author]


Interviews:
Connell and Kahn suggest that the research interview is “a two person conversation initiated by the interviewer for the specific purpose of obtaining research relevant information” (1968, cited in Cohen et al: p269).  The aim of the interviews was to gather, in conjunction with the other methods, historical and contemporary information about Cheboygan (Cohen et al, 2000).  The three interviews were conducted over two days in July 2001.  The subjects were a former Mayor of Cheboygan and current member of the Cheboygan Historical Society, the Executive Director of the area Chamber of Commerce and the City’s Chief Executive.  The interview subjects were chosen for specific purposes, but the aim with each was to “follow up ideas, probe responses and investigate motives” (Bell, 1987: p74).  The Historical Society representative was also able to provide information on Cheboygan’s development from a historical perspective and to collaborate the documentary evidence.  The City’s Chief Executive and the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, however, provided a more contemporary perspective on change in Cheboygan.  The interviews were informal and unstructured, which allowed them to be more open and flexible (Cohen et al, 2000).

The interviews were also recorded and transcribed differently.  Notes were taken for the interviews with the Executive Director and the Chief Executive, whilst the former Mayor consented to be interviewed on tape.  The reason for the differing approaches was awareness that the public officials might be more comfortable and open speaking off tape.  As Cohen et al suggest, “the ethical dimension… needs to be borne in mind, ensuring… informed consent guarantees of confidentiality, beneficence and non-maleficence” (2000: p279).  Consequently, the transcription methods used reflect the method of recording.


Historical and Contemporary Literature:
Cohen et al define the use of historical documents as “the systematic and objective location, evaluation and synthesis of evidence in order to establish facts and draw conclusions about past events” (2000: p158).  In this case, the research was designed to generalize about the past and to pinpoint historical, present and future trends (Hill & Kerber, 1967; cited in Cohen et al, 2000).  

Primary and secondary sources were used in the research and as Hudson suggests, “geographical studies which draw on literature for evidence and insight are now commonplace” (2001: p1).   Cohen et al (2000) define primary sources as those that have a physical relationship with the events that are being researched, whilst secondary sources do not.  The primary material researched included artefacts at the City’s museum, buildings, newspapers, Chamber of Commerce files and the City Charter.  Secondary materials included the Centennial History of Cheboygan County reprinted from 1876 (Historical Society of Cheboygan, 1996) and Cheboygan Centennial 1889-1989 (Olson & Turner, 1989). The Centennial History of Cheboygan County proved to be a valuable source, particularly as the Historical Society of Cheboygan County (1996) had reprinted the book “complete with typographical errors; spelling and punctuation oddities; and the advertisers of that time, to preserve the style and flavor (sic) of that era” (Preface).  As with all the historical sources used, interviews and other evidence suggested that the information was both authentic and genuine (Bell, 1987).

It should be noted that a historical document, however valuable, is not a direct observation and in this case can only provide a “broad view of the conditions and not necessarily the specifics” which brought about Cheboygan’s development (Cohen et al, 2000).  It is for this reason that a holistic approach, utilizing primary and secondary sources, interviews and a land use survey was used to collaborate the data.

Another useful secondary source was the tourist literature provided by the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce (2001a; 2001b).  Although, as Hudson argues, many “aspects of tourism can be illuminated by the study of travel literature” (2001: p1), it is important to recognize that the nature of such documents is to emphasise the positive and not the negative.  ‘Images of Cheboygan, Michigan’ and the ‘Cheboygan Area Visitor’s Guide’, however, provide an insight into how Cheboygan sees both itself now and in then future.

Conclusion:
The research undertaken uses a combination of a land use survey, interviews and historical sources to ensure “concurrent validity” (Campbell and Fiske, ibid).  Consequently, the resulting analysis has been able to provide evidence for change and to establish past, present and future trends.

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